Juliette turned back to Tristan. Letting loose a contained sob, she collapsed next to Tristan and pulled his head to her chest, holding him tight. She kissed his forehead through a flood of tears.
"Please, Tristan, no. Come back to me, Tristan, please! I love you! I…" She screamed in pain, afraid her heart would shatter from the swell of pain that coursed through her entire body like shockwaves. She held him, rocked him, not sure she could ever let him go.
25. Restoration
Tyr lifted himself over the ledge, followed by two male vampires and Gabrielle, wrapped in a robe. Gabrielle took a single step and stopped. Her hand covered her mouth.
One of the vampires pulled Juliette away from Tristan’s limp body. Through mangled sobs, she struggled and fought to get back to him. Tyr examined Tristan briefly, then scooped him up and pushed himself off the platform to the ground, landing lightly, and took off running to the castle.
The arms holding Juliette released her. Gabrielle closed the distance between them and sank beside her, her composure cracking. Tears fell down her face. For a long while, she rocked Juliette, ignoring the cheers and cries outside. "Time to go, Juliette. We need to find the others."
"Are they...are they okay?"
"Yes. Only Tristan..."
Juliette sniffled. "All right. I-I must be with Tristan."
“Your shoulder! How did you get hurt?” Gabrielle’s hands flew to part the fabric.
“I’m okay. It’s just a scratch. Come on. I need to go to him. Please!”
Wordlessly Gabrielle climbed down first and helped steady Juliette back to castle, through the throngs of congratulations and mourning. She led the tearful young woman to their dormitory.
Outside the door, Sunil and Emma sat against a wall, arms around each other. William stood and leaned, staring off into space. Jareth paced. Only Ash noticed Gabrielle and Juliette joining them.
"Tristan's been hurt, but he may live," Ash told them. "He was attacked by--"
"Nate," Gabrielle finished.
"What happened? They stopped all of a sudden and ran."
"I killed him. Then… they left," Juliette wiped her face. "He might be okay?"
William kept his gaze to the floor. "I don’t know, Jules. He's in bad shape. Really bad. Tyr made us wait out here."
"I have to be with him." Juliette left Gabrielle's side, and William caught her. "Let me go!"
"They need to do whatever they’re doing. Please, Jules." His begging fell on deaf ears.
Juliette shoved hard against him. "What can they possibly do that I can't be there for?"
Without a good answer to give, William let her go. "All right. We're here for you if you need us."
"Thank you."
Bracing herself for what she might see, Juliette pushed the door open and kept her eyes down as she passed through and closed it behind her. She pressed her hands against the wall and lifted her face.
Tristan lay on a wide makeshift bed, his body covered with a pale green sheet. One of his legs was uncovered, and the vampire she knew to be called Brigitta gently sponged off dried blood. Layers of muscle were exposed. One of his arms had already been sutured, and Tyr himself was applying a mixture of herbs mixed with what Juliette guessed to be honey. Another vampire, a male with black hair cut short, ground something with a mortar and pestle.
Juliette took a couple quiet, tentative steps toward them, afraid to startle them. Tristan's face came into view. Near his hairline, a few specks of crusted blood remained, and he had a small cut beneath his left eye. His lips were parted, and through them, he took quick, shallow breaths. His skin had paled to almost blue.
Tyr glanced up. "What are you doing in here?" His tone was soft.
"I couldn't wait outside. Will he be okay?" she whispered.
"I don't know," Tyr said gruffly, returning to his work. “He's not human enough to turn into a skin-walker from that but. But he’s not all vampire, so death from a bite alone doesn’t ensure death. If he were a full human, these bites would only require suturing. Since he's a vampire, the saliva is more toxic."
“A human getting bitten--”
“Makes one of them, the same as a bite from me would make you one of us.”
"I’m not surprised. Will Tristan pull through?"
"I think that you should hope hard. You’re not the sort to leave if I ordered you back into the hall--”
“I’m staying here.”
“--so make yourself useful. Dab this tincture on each of his injuries. The herbs prevent infection and should lessen or eliminate scarring. First, rub some of that on your hands." He gestured to a cup with a cold, sharp-smelling gel.
Juliette did as told and scooped up a bit of the clear substance, rubbing until the scent vanished. She took the bowl from Tyr and dipped her fingers into the sweet-smelling potion. Gently she drizzled the sticky mixture on Tristan’s shoulder and ran her hand through it and over his skin. Her eyes kept darting to his face, watching for more signs of life.
Tyr skillfully stitched the gash on Tristan's leg, and Juliette applied the tincture over the threads. Brigitta covered his shoulder with a bandage to keep it clean. After Juliette finished Tristan's newest stitching, Brigitta laid a cloth over that wound as well and tucked his leg under the sheet.
Tyr’s cool fingers touched her own injury. She didn’t seem to notice. “Juliette, what caused this?”
“Nothing. Someone’s arrow grazed me. It’s superficial.” She kept her focus on Tristan’s unconscious face.
“Too deep and jagged. It’ll get infected on its own. You must let me take care of it.” Tyr reached for clean tools and snipped away the fabric around the cut. “I’m afraid this will sting a bit. We don’t have anesthetic handy, my dear. I think you should lie down while I suture this.”
Juliette shook her head and pressed her arms to her sides, trembling. “What can hurt more than my heart does right now? Tristan could die.” She dropped her face into her hand and sobbed.
Brigitta set her bowl down and held Juliette tightly to still her. Tyr washed Juliette’s shoulder with a cold, burning fluid, and delicately sewed the injury shut. Each welcome pinching stab of the needle distracted her from her still-lingering fear of losing the man she loved. Within minutes, Tyr wrapped a clean, dry bandage over her wound. Brigitta helped her change into a spare outfit.
An order was given to carefully move Tristan to a smaller room across the hall, one that would be quieter. His family saw him for the first time as assistants moved him past. Strong, tough William blanched and leaned against a wall, and Ash placed a hand on his shoulder for support. Motherly Gabrielle reached out and whispered, "Tristan!" Jareth turned around and ran out. Without a word, Sunil followed him. Emma hadn’t moved, her face still blank. Juliette reached out and lightly touched Gabrielle’s elbow, hoping she'd believe Tristan would be all right.
For several days, Juliette rarely left Tristan's side. Under Tyr's guidance, she took over Tristan's care, wanting no one else to change his dressings or bathe him. With Tyr's help, she carefully spooned small amounts of a bloody broth into Tristan’s mouth and rubbed his throat to force him to swallow. While she nursed, the village held burials for their dead, and maintained a vigil beneath the window of the makeshift hospital, waiting to learn if they’d have one last casualty.
Exhausted, she lay her head in the crook of her arm on the platform and fell asleep, a line of spittle dripping down her cheek and collecting in a small puddle. Her warm, free hand held Tristan's chilly one.
"Juliette," a voice called.
Hoping Tristan had woken, she raised her eyes to his face, wiping her drool away and blinking hard. He was still unconscious.
"Juliette, why don't you go lie down? I can take over for a while."
She spun around. Near the door Ash, waited for her reply. "What if he wakes up?"
"I'll get you right away."
"Thanks, Ash, but I need to stay. Tristan was always there for me, and I will be here for him."
/>
Ash quietly moved an ottoman to sit near her, and he leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "Do you remember, what seems like ages ago, when you asked me what if you were willing to give up everything you know for him? I said I'd welcome you into our family."
She raised her brow, and the memory of the day in Ojai when they'd talked on the patio surfaced. "I'd forgotten about that."
Ash’s finger turned her face toward his. “You did it. You knew a life with Nate, and you walked away. You let go of the belief that nothing more than the human world existed. You can't go back to how it was before, even without Nate. You gave your innocence to save Tristan. Before all this, you became my sister, but after all your sacrifices, I need to say it. Welcome to the family. You, Juliette, are one of us."
A single tear rolled down Juliette's cheek, and she brushed it away with her palm. "Thank you, Ash. I only did what I had to do."
"Your love compelled you. That means something."
"I do love him. I love all of you."
"Even Jareth?" he asked, giving her a half smile. "Though he's a pain?"
"He's watched out for me, at least in his own way, and he’s still been with us when we needed him most."
Tristan's head rolled slightly to the side, and he took a couple deep breaths as if he'd been suffocating and could finally breathe.
"Tristan?" Juliette stood and peered into his face, pressing her hand to his cheek and lightly running her thumb under his bottom lip. "Tristan, Sweetheart, can you hear me?"
Tristan didn't open his eyes. He took some hard breaths and mouthed her name.
Ash hurried to the door. "I'm going to go get--"
"Tyr, get Tyr! Don't alert anyone else yet. Find Tyr!"
Tristan struggled to move his hand up using his uninjured side. He managed to lay it over Juliette's. His breathing began to even out.
"Tristan?" Gentle fingers stroked his jaw. “Can you say anything?”
The door creaked opened and slammed shut. Tyr rushed over, turning Tristan's face to his, pressing his thumb to Tristan's neck, and slapped his cheek. Tristan winced, and Tyr laughed. "Well, he had a close call, but he'll be all right."
Juliette stared hard at Tyr's face, looking for any sign of jest. "Are you sure? Do you mean that? He’s going to make it?"
"See for yourself, my dear."
She glanced down, and Tristan's blue eyes stared back. "Tristan!" she sobbed, awkwardly scooping his head up to hug to her shoulder.
His arm wound around her, and she heard him croak, "What happened to me?"
"You survived a skin-walking wolf attack," Tyr explained. "This young lady saved your life. She saved all of ours. She killed their alpha, the one who attacked you."
Tristan blinked at her as if he didn't know her. "You did?"
"Yeah. I shot him a couple times."
Brigitta entered the room with a bowl of fresh meat still warm from the kill. Smiling, she handed the dish to Juliette and left.
"You need to eat," Tyr told him, helping him sit up and move back toward the wall.
Commotion broke out in the hallway.
"I'm going in!"
"You must wait!"
"I'm not waiting anymore. He’s my brother!"
"Sweetheart," Juliette said, "I'll let them have some time to visit with you, all right? I'll be back in a minute." She momentarily rested her forehead on his and savored the feel of his fingertips touching her cheek. Feather-soft, her lips touched his.
The door nearly opened on her. She forced her way through and pulled the knob closed. Anxious faces started at her in the dim hallway. She sniffled and collapsed. William caught her and held her up. “He’s fine. He made it.”
* * *
Tyr accompanied Juliette on her first break from Tristan's bedside.
"Are you certain?"
"Yes, Tyr, but I thank you." Juliette gave a small smile. "I wasn't a hero."
"You were," he countered. "To kill your old partner must have been difficult."
Juliette cast her eyes up at the leafy canopy above them and took a deep breath of cold air. Winter frost would soon replace the autumn chill. Face still turned upward, she shook her head. "No, he threatened to kill many innocent people, and I thought he killed Tristan. I had to finish Nathaniel or let him go after all of you. Easy call."
"You are sure you do not want a celebration?"
"Yes," she said firmly. "Thank you though. I could not have made it to Nathaniel without help. Sunil jumped in when those three wolves had me in a corner, or else I’d be dead. How am I more heroic? It’s just as much because of Sunil that Nathaniel's gone. Emma kept an eye on things and was able to tell me where to go. Some of your own coven lost their lives fighting the wolves. We all worked together as a team."
Tyr walked on in silence.
Juliette hugged her arms to her body, running her hands over the silk-linen fabric of her ivory tunic. The accolades unsettled her. She was alive and unharmed, and she had help. Others had saved her in the battle.
"You know, Tyr, we could have a celebration of life, to remember those we lose and to rejoice in having more time ourselves. I don't want a party for me alone. Everybody worked hard. Why shouldn't that be celebrated?"
Tyr glanced down at her walking by his side and smiled. "If I had a daughter, I'd want her to be just like you, Juliette. We shall have that celebration, and I will not put you in the middle. Be forewarned I will not control what others may do."
She basked in his words. “If I had a father, I'd want him to be exactly like you.”
* * *
Within a day, a massive celebration came together. An elegantly displayed large feast featuring the freshest of kills and the finest of seeds, nuts, and berries waited under a silk canopy. Tyr had even ordered a side of deer to be roasted, though no one but Juliette would choose anything cooked.
A band with instruments made from hollowed-out branches formed with a harpist at its center. They played ghostly and beautiful music.
Since Tristan was unable to do more than limp, a chair had been softened with pouches of down for him to rest in. Many vampires paid their respects to their fellow who had survived a wolf's bite. Though he'd encouraged her to join in the dancing and festivities, Juliette remained by his side to tend to his needs.
"I can never repay you for this, Juliette. You should be having fun."
Using her finger, she tipped his face up to hers. "You had no obligation to protect me from Nathaniel, and yet you put me up in a mansion, took care of me, and spoiled me rotten. I’d be in your debt, but why should love keep tally?”
"Love?" Tristan repeated, dazed.
Juliette gestured to the crowd. "This isn't the ideal romantic place to tell you, but now I can't deny the truth anymore, and I don’t want to." She closed her eyes to prepare herself, then peered into his. “I love you so much, Tristan."
Tristan cupped her face, and she turned her mouth to his palm to kiss it. "I've felt the same way for a long time, Juliette, and made an advantage of you not speaking French. Since that stupid English class, I’ve loved you." He guided her lips toward his.
"Hey, what’s happening over here?" William jovially called out, interrupting their kiss before it happened. “Are you finally breaking the ice?”
Tristan rolled his eyes. "We were trying to. Thanks for ruining the moment."
Ash strolled up and ruffled William's hair. "William wouldn't know romantic times if it bit him in the ass."
Juliette laughed. "Sorry, Tristan, I should have waited until we had alone time, but I didn’t want to wait anymore."
"You always apologize without any reason.” Tristan kissed her hand. “Je t’aime, ma Juliette. It means, ‘I love you, my Juliette.’”
Her jaw dropped and she smiled. “Oh my goodness, you’ve been saying that for a while!”
Tristan shrugged and licked his lips. “I was too much of a coward to tell you in English.”
Tyr joined them, hauling Jareth and Sunil with him. Gabr
ielle approached from the opposite direction.
"Might I have a word with all of you?" Tyr asked.
"Of course you may," Gabrielle answered on their collective behalf.
Tyr sat down on one of the stumps usually used by the lowest ranking of vampires, waving Tristan down when he tried to stand to offer the best seat to their leader. "Back down, Son. I can sit here just fine." He scratched his chin. "Each of you has added new life to this place and made this village happier, especially you, Juliette. I am offering all of you a permanent home here.” Turning his focus to Juliette, "I could turn you into one of us. You could live immortal, stay as you are now."
"Yes!" William pumped a fist in the air.
Ash smacked the arm Emma hadn't. "Don't pressure her, Will."
Jareth suppressed a scowl, but his disapproval was clear by the flare of his nostrils.
"Thank you, Tyr. I'll remain human." Juliette reached to him and touched his arm. "It's nothing against you, but I like to go in the sun, and there is so much I still want to do that I couldn't. Immortality is appealing, but it's not for me, at least not right now."
Tristan's hand closed tightly over hers, and he looked down with a small smile.
"Tristan, I'm sorry," she whispered. "I can't. This was dropped on me, and I’m not ready to consider it."
Tyr gave her a small smile. "If you ever change your mind, tell me, and it will be done."
"Thank you."
"This does mean you will leave us?"
Juliette sighed and nodded. "You are like the father I always wanted, but I have certain goals and experiences to have before I could seriously consider leaving the human world behind."
Tyr's eyes watered. "What about the rest of you? Gabrielle and I spoke of this earlier, and she will go."
"I'm staying with Juliette," Tristan said. “You probably knew that.”
"I'm going with my brother and Juliette," Ash added.
"I have more work to do," Will explained.
Emma and Sunil exchanged a glance. "Sunil’s work is as professor. We need to be where he can teach. But we would like to visit."
"What about you, Jareth?"
Jareth peeked at a young vampire out of the corner of his eye. She covered her mouth to hide her smile and ducked behind a tree, stealing a few glances his way. Jareth smiled at her, then turned to Gabrielle, silently asking her what to do. Tension filled the air around them. "Do I have to decide now?"